


stay with me

by valkyriered



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-12
Updated: 2017-04-12
Packaged: 2018-10-17 21:08:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10602270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/valkyriered/pseuds/valkyriered
Summary: Shiro gets sick. Kind of choppy because it's done from a series of prompts on my tumblr. Very vague reference to possible noncon.





	

Shiro hasn’t slept yet, even though he’s sick and the other paladins advised him that sick humans require plenty of sleep. Instead, he has his face pressed into Ulaz’s throat, and alternates between violent coughing spells and heavy breathing. 

“Go to sleep.” Ulaz murmurs, running a comforting hand up and down Shiro’s back. “You need to sleep.”

“No.” Shiro snuggles closer. “I’ll have dreams.” He pushes his flushed, heated face against Ulaz’s neck. “I always have dreams when I’m sick.”

Ulaz sighs, resting his cheek against Shiro’s head. “I will wake you up if you have a dream.”

“I could hurt you.” Shiro’s voice is muffled, but he can still hear the fear in it. 

“You could not hurt me.” Ulaz says confidently. He sneaks his hand up the back of Shiro’s shirt, rubbing against the bare skin there. “Sleep.”

Shiro sighs, relaxing into him. For such a headstrong person, he can be terribly suggestible when sick. This is something he should watch out for, a weakness like this is very exploitable, and–

Shiro mumbles something incoherent and snuggles closer, nuzzling lightly at his throat. 

Ulaz looks down at him. Perhaps there is some kind of evolutionary reason why humans are so… endearing when they are sick. Probably intended to trigger a protective instinct. Ulaz gently swipes a damp piece of hair off of Shiro’s forehead. There’s no way for him to get up without disturbing Shiro, but he doesn’t mind. He’s perfectly happy to lay here with Shiro’s warm weight on top of him and the feeling of his breath against his throat. Shiro is sick enough that he drifts off quickly, but Ulaz stays awake, stroking through his hair and watching distant stars fly by through the window. 

-

 

Ulaz is still awake when Shiro wakes up hours later coughing and gagging, spasming against Ulaz’s body as he struggles to sit up. Ulaz grabs Shiro by the shoulders and forces him up into a sitting position before he doubles over and vomits. He’s covered in a thin sheen of sweat, and his face is a mess of snot and drool and now, tears. They drip slowly down his face, but he doesn't wipe at them, seemingly unaware that they're even there. 

“M’sorry.” Shiro slurs, shuddering and falling back against Ulaz. “Sorry.” He curls in there, pressing his face into Ulaz's chest before shifting to look up at him. His eyes are damp and glazed and unfocused. He won’t stop shaking. Don’t humans shake when they’re _cold_? 

“Shiro, you need to sit up.” Ulaz says. Shiro seems entirely unwilling to do much more than drool and grasp at Ulaz’s shirt, so he forces him up again and climbs out from under him. It’s time to get the other humans involved. Shiro falls back against the pillows and curls in on himself. 

With Shiro this boneless, it’s unlikely that Ulaz will be able to do anything other than just bodily move him around. Ulaz sighs, and kneels down on the bed to pull Shiro up by the armpits. His eyes are closed now, his breathing evened out. Maybe if he’s passed out this will be easier. He reaches down, taking ahold of the hem of Shiro’s sick-stained shirt to change him into a clean one. 

Shiro blinks his eyes open and regards him blearily. “…Sendak?” He asks, and a tear slips down his cheek, and Ulaz’s stomach drops. 

“No, Shiro.” Ulaz says gently, and he gives up on the shirt, not wanting to even think of the implications of that. He’d rather Shiro have a dirty shirt than fever-induced flashbacks. “I’m taking you to the other paladins. It’s time to get you in a pod.”

Shiro still looks upset and confused, but he closes his eyes in resigned assent. When Ulaz picks him up, Shiro lets out a soft, low whine. 

“Don’t worry.” Ulaz murmurs. “The others will know what to do.”

“Don’t–” Shiro gags, presses his face against Ulaz’s chest. “Don’t let them take my other arm.” He begs. 

“I won’t let them.” Ulaz promises, burning with guilt. “I’ll keep you safe this time.” By the time they’re in the hall, Shiro has passed out again, but Ulaz still holds him close. There are so many ways he has failed Shiro. He's going to do it right this time.

The other Paladins help Ulaz put Shiro in the pod. He's damp and sweaty and there's sick on his shirt, but nobody minds. They're all just _worried_ \-- even with all this handling, he's barely stirred. He only opens his eyes once, as the pod is beginning to close. They widen with fear and betrayal, and he looks directly at Ulaz before they unwillingly fall closed.

-

 

When Shiro comes out of the pod, he’s weak and shaky and still half-asleep. He blearily blinks into wakefulness and leans heavily on the wall of the pod. His shirt is still a mess and his clothes are probably half-frozen from being damp with sweat, but he doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, he doesn’t seem entirely present. 

“Shiro?” Hunk asks, taking a careful step forward.

Shiro’s eyes slowly track over to meet Hunk’s gaze. “Oh. Hi.”

“How are you feeling?” 

“Gross.” Shiro leans a little more heavily onto the side of the pod. “Tired.”

“Did the pod not work?” Ulaz asks.

“Nah, this is pretty normal.” Hunk says. “We always feel kinda crappy coming out. Humans don’t really thaw well.” Normally he’d help his teammates out of the pod, but, well. He looks Shiro up and down. “You’re kinda gross.” 

Shiro looks down at himself. “…Yeah.” He says, acknowledging it but not quite registering it. He shivers suddenly, violently. “I want to take a shower.”  

-

 

Shiro trembles as he strips down to shower, but Ulaz doesn’t say anything– he takes the dirty clothing and tosses it down the laundry chute and goes to go get some clean towels and clothing. He doesn’t feel that comfortable with leaving Shiro showering alone in his current state, but it wouldn’t do well to make Shiro wait in the cold for a towel.

When he comes back, the shower is running and he can hear the sound of Shiro scrubbing himself down. He left the shower curtain open, something that he has a habit of doing– probably in order to see if anyone is in the room. It’s nearly impossible to hear someone entering over the spray of the shower.

Ulaz deposits the towels on a bench and sits next to them. “Are you feeling better?”

Shiro glances over at him. He looks calmer now, like he’s been able to regain control. “Yeah. More present.” He scrubs at his face and spits out some of the water. “Less gross. How long was I in the pod for?”

“Slightly less than a cycle.”

“That’s not too bad.” Shiro leans over to grab some soap and a cloth, and Ulaz takes a moment to admire the lines of his body. It took some time to get used to a body without fur, but now that he has he finds that he enjoys being able to see Shiro so… exposed. His eyes track the lines of his scars, the defined muscles of his chest and abdomen, the thickness of his thighs.

“You’re staring.”

“Is it bothering you?”

Shiro hums quietly. “I don’t mind.” He finishes cleaning himself and turns off the shower. He curls in on himself slightly as he walks over to retrieve the towel, suddenly body-shy now that he’s not showering. He doesn’t say anything, but he turns his back to dry himself off and Ulaz averts his gaze, busies himself instead with Shiro’s change of clothes. 

Once Shiro is clean and dry and dressed, Ulaz takes him back to his room. He’s still weak and quiet, and when Shiro asks Ulaz to spend the night he doesn’t hesitate. He thought that maybe Shiro would want some time alone, but he has that look on his face and won’t meet his eyes and yes, there’s probably something bothering him. 

It’s easier to talk in the dark, though. Ulaz waits until they’re situated, with him on his back and Shiro curled up against his side, laying his head on his chest. 

“I’m glad you’re feeling better.” 

He feels Shiro give a half-hearted shrug. “I’m sorry you had to deal with me like that.”

“I did not mind.” 

“I threw up on you.”

“There are worse things.” Ulaz reminds him. His arm drifts down, and he scratches lightly at Shiro’s scalp just to feel him relax against him. They lapse into silence for a bit. Ulaz stares up at the dark ceiling. He can still feel the tension in Shiro’s shoulders.

“You called me Sendak.” He says finally. 

“I did?” Shiro asks, but he doesn’t sound surprised, just resigned. 

“After you soiled your shirt. I attempted to remove it.” 

Shiro stiffens, then sighs. “Ulaz, if there’s something you want to ask me, you can.” 

“Do you want me to?”

“Not really.” Shiro tucks himself closer. “I’m tired.”

That’s usually Shiro’s way of signalling that he’s done talking for the night, so Ulaz rolls onto his side to properly gather Shiro against his chest. This close, he can feel Shiro’s breath against his throat, the slight tremble to his arms.

“I’m going to have nightmares tonight.” Shiro says, his voice muffled against Ulaz’s chest. “I always have nightmares after the pods.”

Ulaz runs a calming hand up and down Shiro’s back. “I will be here.”  

Shiro lets out another sigh. “I know.” He presses himself closer, and Ulaz holds him tighter, as though he can guarantee Shiro’s safety by virtue of being in his arms. He brushes a kiss against Shiro’s scalp, and bit-by-bit he feels him begin to relax. 

He’s struck by a sudden rush of affection. Shiro has trusted him with so much, when Ulaz has given him so little reason to. Shiro shifts in his sleep, lets out a soft whimper.

Ulaz tightens his grip on Shiro, and he quiets. He is grateful for this. He is grateful to be here. And he will do anything in his power to support Shiro– to ensure his health, and his safety, and his strength.

**Author's Note:**

> https://mitski.bandcamp.com/track/i-will


End file.
